Green MP Julie Anne Genter told to return to her seat in Parliament during exchange with National's Matt Doocey. Video / Parliament TV
The Green Party co-leaders have discussed with under-fire MP Julie Anne Genter fresh allegations of her poor behaviour, which include allegedly grabbing the arm of a Wellington businesswoman during an exchange about a controversial plan to ban cars from the city centre.
It comes as the deadline is reached for Genter to respond to the multiple complaints made to Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee ahead of his ruling as to whether the Rongotai MP’s initial confrontation in the House last week is sent to Parliament’s Privileges Committee.
Genter crossed the floor of the debating chamber on Wednesday and waved a book in the face of National minister Matt Doocey while she yelled at him. She has subsequently apologised for her actions.
Additional allegations surfaced in the following days, including Cranfields owner Nicola Cranfield’s “upsetting” experience last year in which she claimed the MP grabbed her upper arm, and gave it a little shake during a conversation about the MP’s involvement in transport changes that had negatively affected her retail business.
Cranfield said, in her view, it “wasn’t a friendly squeeze” and believed it was aimed to make her feel that Genter was in a “position of power”.
Genter herself did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment about the incident.
Asked about Cranfield’s claims, a Green Party spokesperson said co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick had no prior knowledge of the allegations regarding Genter which have recently come to light.
Swarbrick today told AM she and Davidson had spoken to Genter about the latest claims and were addressing them.
Both Swarbrick and Davidson have condemned Genter’s behaviour in the House and initiated a disciplinary process involving Genter, but have given few details about it.
On Thursday, Brownlee said he had received privileges complaints from party whips relating to Wednesday’s incident and outlined how Genter had until midday today to respond before he decided whether to send it to the Privileges Committee, where Genter’s actions would be interrogated by a selection of MPs from across the House.
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick doesn't want to make excuses for Genter's behaviour. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Swarbrick today described Genter as incredibly hard-working, intelligent and an “obviously very passionate” MP.
She reiterated her earlier comments that Genter’s actions crossed a line and then claimed she’d been contacted by MPs from different parties who had said they’d witnessed similar incidents from members of their own parties.
Swarbrick, who urged she wasn’t trying to excuse Genter’s behaviour, argued the feedback indicated “a lot of work” was needed to improve the working environment in Parliament.
Act leader and minister David Seymour, who appeared on AM alongside Swarbrick, believed that was an “absolute cop-out.
“It’s totally unacceptable, we’ve never seen anything like that so to sit here and say, ‘Oh yes, we make no excuses but it’s actually happening everywhere in Parliament’, I’m sorry, nothing like this has happened in living memory.”
Seymour then claimed the Green Party’s poor culture had led to several scandals involving its MPs.
The party was currently investigating allegations of migrant exploitation relating to MP Darleen Tana’s husband’s E-bike business. Earlier this year, Golriz Ghahraman resigned as an MP amid shoplifting allegations she later pleaded guilty to.
Swarbrick accepted it had been a “really rocky” start to this term of Parliament. She and Davidson had been having conversations with the caucus to make expectations concerning behaviour “abundantly clear” to MPs.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
